Trump’s Funding Cuts Leave New Yorkers Asking: “Where is Mike Lawler?”
President Trump’s Attempt to Cut Off Federal Funding Threatened Programs and Services New Yorkers Rely on Every Single Day
PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK — Today, Empire State Voices, Indivisible Westchester, and Healthcare Education Project held a rally outside Representative Mike Lawler’s office in Pearl River, demanding answers following his silence amidst the chaos and confusion of the past week.
On Monday night, the Trump Administration announced that they would be cutting off all federal grants and loans beginning at 5:00 pm the following day. These cuts would impact countless programs and services across New York that depend on federal funding, including school lunch programs, food and housing assistance programs, home heating and energy assistance, veterans’ services, and so much more.
On Monday night, the Trump Administration announced that they would be cutting off all federal grants and loans beginning at 5:00 pm the following day. | Credit: Empire State Voices
“While New Yorkers of all backgrounds and political persuasions were thrown into harm’s way this week, Representative Lawler was nowhere to be found,” said Zachary Tirgan, Regional Organizing Director for Empire State Voices, “His constituents needed someone to fight for them, someone to protect the programs and services that they rely on every single day just to get by. But as these critical lifelines were threatened, where was Rep. Lawler? Why did he remain silent?”
“Trump wants to cut trillions of dollars in funding to Medicaid, Veteran’s Benefits, Education, Housing, and SNAP, among others, to pay for even more tax breaks for the rich as this week’s Federal Funding Cutoff attempted to do,” said Alan Levy, a Community Organizer for Indivisible Westchester. “His billionaire friends, along with Republican leadership, are proposing these cuts to essential programs that will hurt the people most at risk in American society. It is the first salvo of cruelty unleashed by the new administration with surely more to come. We urge our supposed ‘moderate’ Congressman, Mike Lawler, to stand up to these inhuman decisions and make his moderate voice heard in Congress..”
“Cutting off federal funds to Medicaid threatens the healthcare of nearly 680,000 Hudson Valley residents,” said Casandra Chen, a Healthcare Advocate with the Healthcare Education Project. “Seniors who rely on home care and nursing care, people with physical and developmental disabilities, children, mothers, people with mental health and substance abuse disorders, as well as small businesses who rely on Medicaid for health care when they can't access employer-sponsored healthcare. The $8.7 billion of medical services covered by Medicaid in the Hudson Valley is not a partisan issue. Elected officials need to keep their hands off Medicaid!”
“While New Yorkers of all backgrounds and political persuasions were thrown into harm’s way this week, Representative Lawler was nowhere to be found.” - Zachary Tirgan | Credit: Empire State Voices
To learn more about Empire State Voices, please reach out to press@empirestatevoices.org
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
